Girl Scout Starts Change.org Petition for GMO-Free Girl Scout Cookies

March 18, 2013

Do you have any idea how far your activism is going? You are not only helping to ignite necessary changes in the food supply today, you are paving way for change for generations to come. Just one signification of your ongoing activism can be seen through an astounding girl scout based in Orange County, California, who has started a Change.org petition to stop girl scout cookies from containing GMO ingredients. And who said that the youngest generations were not aware of the latest issues?

The petition, created by Alicia Serratos, is gaining great momentum as the news gets out to thousands of concerned individuals. On March 8th, the petition held about 100 signatures; on March 12, there were about 1,000 signatures; now, the amount of signatures has reached an exciting 4,731. We can help make it even more extensive.

Needless to say, many signers of the petition are concerned about more than just GMOs. One woman stated: “We won’t support the Girl Scouts by buying these cookies unless the hydrogenated oils, hfcs, & GMOs are taken out.” Another, expressing her feelings in a more positive light, said: “As a mother and cookie lover, removing GMOs from girl scout cookies is taking a step toward a healthier generation of kids.”

But this isn’t the only good news you should have heard lately. In the midst of the petition, Whole Foods has announced that, by 2018, all products within its stores will carry a label specifying if it contains GMO ingredients. While California’s GMO labeling bill Prop 37 has failed to go through (for numerous deceptive reasons), this future enactment is a huge step in the right direction for both health-conscious consumers and Whole Foods. After all, Whole Foods will stand out as the largest grocery store to carry GMO labels; who wouldn’t want to shop there?

As stated in their press release:

“We are putting a stake in the ground on GMO labeling to support the consumer’s right to know,” said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. “The prevalence of GMOs in the U.S. paired with nonexistent mandatory labeling makes it very difficult to select non-GMO products. We are increasing our support of organic, and we are working with our supplier partners to grow our non-GMO supply chain to ensure we can continue to provide these choices in the future.”

Right now, both the girl scout petition and the news revolving around Whole Foods’ GMO labeling is just what people need to keep the fire going. Although the process could have come sooner to lessen the degree of GMO contamination across organic fields, there is no doubt that public activism is reaching children and younger individuals across the globe. And with the largest natural/organic grocery stores implementing GMO labeling and launching the issue into the spotlight, there is now more hope than ever for real progress.